To improve your workouts, you’ll need some real equipment. But you don’t have to buy the biggest, baddest, most expensive home gym system to get in shape. Check out our 10 essentials for every woman’s workout (starting with your bra), plus our top pick for each category…

1. Sports BraWhen you talk about wanting more bounce in your step, we know you don’t mean your chest. Bouncing breasts are a major exercise deterrent. One in two women complain of breast pain during exercise, according to a 2007 University of Portsmouth, England study.

It’s no wonder: Breasts can bounce up to eight inches vertically, the study reported. They move side to side and in and out, creating an achy, tissue-jostling, ligament-stretching figure-eight pattern. Ouch!

So what’s a curvy gal to do?

Encapsulation bras get a big thumbs up. They hold each breast separately, rather than smashing them to your chest, as compression bras do. Even better? A bra that encapsulates and compresses.

The pick:Moving Comfort’s Fiona Bra (pictured right) is an encapsulation and compression bra. It’s designed for C cups and up, and is especially recommended for high-impact exercises such as running. If you’re blessed with a smaller cup size, Moving Comfort also carries sports bras to keep those perky puppies well kept.

The price: $42

2. Heart Rate MonitorDo you run on the treadmill just so you can watch the numbers under “Calories Burned” tick up? Then this device is for you.

Enter your information – height, weight, age – into the watch, strap on the chest transmitter and this handy gadget will display calories burned. Anywhere, anytime, any type of exercise.

Couldn’t care about calories? A heart-rate monitor is much more than a weight-loss gadget.

So whether you’re a runner or just want burn off last night’s dessert, investing in a good-quality heart-rate monitor is wise.

The picks:Rutherford recommends Polar brand monitors. We like the Polar F11 for the average fitness buff and the Polar RS200 for runners. You’ll also need a WearLink®+ Transmitter – the chest strap that reads your heartbeat (pictured right).

The perk: Most gym equipment – the treadmill, elliptical, stationary bicycle, etc. – uses Polar technology to determine your heart rate through touch sensors. Wear your Polar heart rate monitor and you don’t have to touch anything; the machine will pick up the signal from your chest strap and show your heart rate on the display.

“A standard scale only gives you one piece of information: your total weight,” Marion says. “But because you experience fluctuations in water weight throughout the day, and you’re (hopefully) gaining muscle as you lose fat, simply knowing your weight isn’t enough.”

A body composition scale – one that measures your body fat percentage and total weight – will give you a clearer picture of your body’s changes. Even if your weight remains the same – or increases – you’ll see that you’re actually losing body fat and gaining muscle.

“Use it at the same time of day, preferably first thing in the morning, for the most accurate measurements,” Marion advises. The price:$69.99

5. Jump Rope“This is portable cardio,” Rutherford says. “And for people who prefer not to run, this is definitely a good option.”

Jumping rope can burn 750 calories per hour. That’s more than any other type of exercise, according to the National Institutes of Health.

You’ll have many jump ropes to choose from, but it all comes down to preference.

“You should pick the one you’re most likely to use,” Rutherford says. “If you choose a purple jump rope because that's your favorite color, so be it!”

The pick:For old-school charm that never goes out of style, build your own jump rope at the Jump Rope Store (pictured right). These hard-plastic, segmented ropes come in 18 colors. Combine up to three alternating colors for a jump rope you’ll be running to the mailbox for. Hey, that burns calories too!

The price:$7.95-$16.95, depending on length (which depends on your height)

6. Stability BallThe idea behind this essential piece of equipment is in its name. It’s also called a Swiss ball or exercise ball and it challenges your balance and strengthens your core.

As you sit, lay or lean on the ball, tiny stabilizer muscles – which your workouts usually ignore – keep you from falling over.

Try this simple “exercise” to test the waters: Swap your desk chair for a stability ball. After just a couple hours, you’ll feel the burn in muscles you didn’t even know you had. Once you get the hang of sitting on it, balance on it as you do crunches, push-ups, squats and more.

The pick:The last thing you want is a flimsy ball that could pop. That’s why we chose the burst-resistant Resist-A-Ball Pro from Power Systems (pictured right).

7. Medicine BallsThese weighted balls are more than a fun substitute for dumbbells. They also boost strength.

“First you need to decide if you want a medicine ball that does or does not bounce,” Rutherford says. Forgo the bounce if you’ll use them as a dumbbells substitute. For more options and for partner or wall workouts, get a bouncy ball. The pick:Rutherford prefers Dr. Don Chu's PlyoBalls (pictured right). ”They have amazing grip,” she says.

The price:$16.95-$99.95 for sizes from one to 30 pounds. “A good-quality medicine ball will be pricey, but worth it because it will last forever,” she says.

8. DumbbellsNo upper body workout is complete without them. But not all upper body exercises require the same weight, so you’ll have to buy a few in varying weights.

“Get a set with pairs starting at 3 pounds,” Rutherford suggests. “If you need heavier weights, you can buy them as you get stronger.”

What type you buy depends on preference (color, texture/feel, style) and how often you’ll use them.

The price:$1.85-$17 for sizes from 1-15 pounds of Deluxe Vinyl Dumbbells. $3.38-$113 for sizes from three to 100 pounds. (The Super-Hex Dumbbells) $149 for a set that adjusts from three to 24 pounds per hand (PowerBlocks)9. Resistance TubesFor a portable alternative to heavy equipment, resistance tubes are “a great way to work your upper body and core without weights,” Rutherford says. Pack them in an overnight bag and you have a full-body gym everywhere.

Tubes come in varying degrees of thickness for different levels of resistance.

Start with a thinner tube for difficult, over-the-head exercises, and a medium-thickness tube for below-the-shoulders exercises, such as biceps curls and triceps presses. As you get stronger, increase the resistance level by using a thicker tube.

10. PedometerThere’s one piece of fitness equipment you can’t ignore: your legs. And, for the price of a large pizza, you can make sure you’re putting them to good use (which is especially important if you’re fond of pies).

An inexpensive, basic-model pedometer can record your steps and keep you on track to fitness.

“Aim for 10,000 steps a day,” Marion says. “That’s the equivalent of walking five miles.”

Are You Sporting the Right Active Wear?The wrong exercise clothes can actually hurt your performance. Are you dressing for exercise success? Take this active wear quiz to find out.

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